WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - UN Secretary-General António Guterres has said that the best way to address Artificial intelligence's global risks is to bring countries together to adopt shared principles and commitments on AI governance.
'National action is essential, but global coordination is indispensable,' the UN chief said on Wednesday.
The UN has worked for several years to provide a forum where countries can develop a shared understanding of AI technologies and discuss how they can cooperate - and provide a regulatory framework - on issues such as safety, human rights and disparities in access.
AI is advancing rapidly, raising questions about how societies and governments can capture its benefits while managing risks that often extend beyond national borders.
Those concerns intensified after a former researcher at the AI company Anthropic warned last week that AI could pose an existential threat to humanity.
The UN's current work on AI governance stems from the Global Digital Compact, adopted by Member States in 2024 as part of the UN's Pact for the Future, exactly two years ago.
The Compact called for international cooperation on AI and proposed two new mechanisms: an independent scientific panel to assess the AI's risks and opportunities, and an annual global dialogue where governments and other stakeholders could coordinate approaches to AI governance.
In August 2025, the UN General Assembly formally established both.
The Independent International Scientific Panel on AI aims to provide governments with an independent assessment of what is known - and what isn't known - about the rapidly developing technology.
The Scientific Panel's first preliminary report, released 1 July, concluded that AI capabilities are advancing rapidly - especially in areas such as reasoning, coding and science - creating significant opportunities.
It also identified risks such as misinformation, discrimination, privacy violations, cyberattacks and so-called 'superintelligence' that could become difficult to control.
'We need a shared understanding of how to advance the safe, secure, and responsible development of AI - while identifying when increasingly powerful systems may require stronger safeguards, or additional measures to manage potential risks,' Guterres said in his pre-UNGA remarks to the world's media in New York.
The Secretary-General has called for an AI Child Safety Pledge and a Global Fund for AI, which would support developing countries in building AI infrastructure and capacity.
Guterres underscored during his press conference Wednesday that AI will be 'a major topic' in his discussions with world leaders next week.
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